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Learning to speak a new language for any age group can be a daunting task. There are so many words and phrases in the English language that it’s hard enough keeping up with THEM let alone learning how to articulate ourselves in another dialect. Well, that’s where these cards come in. Aptly named ‘Learn Spanish or French (while) Playing Cards’ (gedditt??) this is one set of cards that you WILL be putting in the kid’s Christmas stockings. AND you’ll be packing them in your luggage too because they cater for both old and young. I’m an avid supporter of kids learning to play card games, and these 2 decks are surely the perfect introduction. The campaign is live right now on Kickstarter, and you have until 29th of September 2015 to get your hands on a few decks, so head on over there now.

Learn Spanish or French (while) Playing Cards

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I remember many, many years ago, a good friend of my Mum’s went to Greece for a holiday. She brought my Mum back a couple of hand-made and hand-painted plates, depicting various highly dramatic scenes involving Ancient Greek characters. I had no idea who they were or what they were doing. None. But I didn’t care. The plates were painted in dark reds and browns and blacks. The characters were strong and fascinating. I loved those plates. They hung on the living room wall for years – long after I moved out. Until of course my Mum was redecorating and they didn’t quite ‘go’ with the rest of the decor. She was going to store them away, but I asked if I could have them because I wanted them on MY wall. Well, I brought the plates home and, unbeknownst to me, my room mate put them into the dishwasher to clean them…. the dishwasher……… hand painted plates…. they were ruined….. I was devastated………. This deck reminds me of those plates :) The Fall of Troy ][ Epic Playing Cards are on Kickstarter NOW.

The Fall of Troy Playing Cards

Designed by Chris Staples of duxoop (if you’re wondering how it’s pronounced, his logo is a soup bowl with a duck in it…. geddit….?) this deck features the main players in the Trojan War which is believed to have taken place some time between 1260 – 1180 BC. Chris has taken inspiration from various artworks which have depicted the War, but he has painstakingly reworked each design to achieve the 2-way symmetrical images we are familiar with in ‘modern day’ playing card design. Ancient script adorns the background of each card – courts and pips – which gives this deck a truly raw, handmade feel. The pips are all custom hand-drawn too, so it’s clear to see that a LOT of work went into designing this deck. Which is no surprise really, considering that Chris Staples has worked on some of the most well known animated films and TV shows in recent years. {Keep reading for more details….:)} Continue reading →

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